DIRECTOR OF CANDIDATE INVESTIGATION DIVISION

• APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF ANALYST TITLE OR BE PERMANENT IN A COMPARABLE TITLE ELIGIBLE FOR 6.1.9 TITLE CHANGE
  
  

The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the largest Fire Department in the United States and is universally recognized as the world's busiest and most highly skilled emergency response agency. The Department's main goal is to provide fire protection, emergency medical care, and other critical public safety services to residents and visitors in the five boroughs. FDNY members are sworn to serve and protect life and property, and the Department works to continually educate the public in fire, life safety, and disaster preparedness, along with enforcing public safety codes. Since its inception in 1865, FDNY has helped lead efforts to make New York the safest big city in the nation. This accomplishment requires a steadfast and daily commitment to maintaining the Department's core values.

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) seeks a full-time Director for the Candidate Investigation Division (CID). CID is responsible for backgrounding all FDNY job applicants and classes of candidates for firefighter, emergency medical service titles, fire alarm dispatcher, and fire protection inspector.

The Director of CID will oversee and manage all aspects of the background investigation process for candidates seeking employment with FDNY. This includes ensuring that all investigations adhere to legal standards, departmental policies, and timelines. The Director will work closely with the Assistant Commissioner of CID and senior leadership to streamline processes, ensure accuracy, and uphold the department’s commitment to selecting qualified, diverse candidates. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills, experience in background investigations, and a thorough understanding of civil service and employment laws.

Additional Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

• Lead and manage CID team efforts to meet strict deadlines for each phase of the candidate investigation process, ensuring timely onboarding for all FDNY hiring cycles.
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance key performance indicators (KPIs), such as processing times, accuracy rates, and candidate retention, with continuous monitoring and adjustments to achieve divisional goals.
• Mentor, train, and evaluate staff performance, fostering a culture of accountability, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with legal and HR to resolve complex issues involving candidate backgrounds, such as criminal convictions, discrepancies in information, or other sensitive matters.
• Report regularly to the Assistant Commissioner of CID on the status of background investigations, highlighting any delays, challenges, or trends in candidate data.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• A master's degree from an accredited college in economics, finance, accounting, business or public administration, human resources management, management science, operations research, organizational behavior, industrial psychology, statistics, personnel administration, labor relations, psychology, sociology, human resources development, political science, urban studies or a closely related field, and two years of satisfactory full-time professional experience in one or a combination of the following: working with the budget of a large public or private concern in budget administration, accounting, economic or financial administration, or fiscal or economic research; in management or methods analysis, operations research, organizational research or program evaluation; in personnel or public administration, recruitment, position classification, personnel relations, employee benefits, staff development, employment program planning/administration, labor market research, economic planning, social services program planning/evaluation, or fiscal management; or in a related area. 18 months of this experience must have been in an executive, managerial, administrative or supervisory capacity. Supervision must have included supervising staff performing professional work in the areas described above; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of professional experience in the areas described in "1" above, including the 18 months of executive, managerial, administrative or supervisory experience, as described in "1" above.
  
  

Preferred Skills

Knowledge of City laws, rules, procedures, and practices in pre-employment screening and hiring. Experience working with or managing processes in a public safety or emergency services environment. Familiarity with New York City employment and civil service laws. Proven leadership and team management abilities, with a track record of improving operational efficiency. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to collaborate across all levels of the organization and with external stakeholders. High level of integrity and discretion, with the ability to manage sensitive and confidential information. Strong knowledge of technology tools related to investigations, case management systems, and database management.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.